The Slowbro Trilogy: Book One
by Blue Paratroopa
Summary: Bored with his cushy life in Slowpoke Well, one Slowbro along with his reluctant Shellder journey out into the world to train at the Saffron Gym. But does the gym really hold the key to happiness?
1. Out of the Well

In all of Johto, there was only one place to be if you were a Slowpoke: Azalea Town. Slowpokes were viewed as sacred to the land, as their yawns were believed to cause rain, making them essential for the crops. Thus, Slowpokes, Slowbros and Slowkings alike were allowed to roam free. Being slow and lazy, they didn't roam all that much, anyway.

Except for one.

Down in the town's well (known as "Slowpoke Well," as it was inhabited almost solely by Slowpokes) there lived only one Slowbro. He wasn't a typical Slowbro, either. While most Slowbros did have to stay more active than Slowpokes (as they were eating for both themselves and their parasitic Shellder on their tail), this Slowbro was the most active one that any of the town had ever seen.

This Slowbro loved to take jogs around the town, to spar with the Spearrows that lived nearby and to stay generally active. It was most unusual, everyone agreed. Still, Slowbro was happy and since he was the strongest Pokemon in town, he was generally seen as the Well's protector.

…of course, there wasn't all that much to protect.

That was the problem: Slowbro was bored. And so it was one day that he decided to journey down to the deepest level of the well to speak with their leader, Slowking.

"Master Slowking," Slowbro said to him, "I come seeking advice."

"And I guess I came with him," muttered the Shellder. "Not that I had much of a say in it, of course."

"What advice do you seek?" Slowking asked calmly.

"I'm bored," Slowbro admitted. "I've been bored for a long time, but I was afraid to ask, because I thought I would sound ungrateful for all the things that this Well and this town have done for me."

"You are brave to ask," said Slowking. "How can I aid your boredom?"

"Well," said Slowbro, "I wanted to ask your permission to leave."

Shellder gasped. "Leave? LEAVE? You're consulting this guy to leave and you never once asked ME?"

Slowbro ignored Shellder and continued. "I mean, what I really want to do is train at the Saffron City gym for psychic Pokemon."

Shellder moaned.

"I see," nodded Slowking. "That is very noble of you. I must say, I cannot think of anything that is stopping you from leaving."

"But aren't I the Well's protector?" Slowbro asked.

"You were never officially named such," admitted Slowking. "Nothing binds you here but yourself."

"And my wishes!" whined Shellder. "Doesn't anyone care what I think?"

"I do foresee dark days ahead," Slowking said softly, looking off into the distance.

"Dark days?" repeated Slowbro. "What kind of dark days?"

"I do not know," sighed Slowking. "It could mean many things. My predictions are always vague. Perhaps the Well will be under attack, or perhaps it will mean that we will all miss you."

"I doubt anyone would want to attack our Well," said Slowbro. "I'm sorry if you'll miss me, but I'll be sure to visit! I promise!"

"It is your own choice," said Slowking. "I wish you luck in whatever you choose."

Slowbro thanked his leader and began to climb to the Well's upper level.

"I can't believe you," growled Shellder. "Of all the Slowpokes in the world to bite, I had to bite YOUR tail."

"You knew what you were signing up for," Slowbro shot back.

"No, no I didn't. Every Shellder dreams of becoming a Slowbro's accessory. Once we're attached at the tail, I don't have to do any work. You get all the food for me. It's all part of being a parasite."

"So what's the problem?"

"Well, for one thing, you're always putting us in danger, especially when you get in fights with those Spearrows. But you're missing the big picture. We're living in a paradise here! No one is allowed to capture you, 'cause you protect the Well. Once you're outta here, trainers will be after you!"

"I'm fast on my feet for a Slowbro," replied Slowbro. "They have to catch me first, and the subway to Saffron isn't that far from here."

"I never should have bit your tail," Shellder said bitterly.

"So why don't you just let go? Go back to being a Shellder and leave me alone in the world as a Slowpoke?"

"You know perfectly well why!" snapped Shellder. "You were smart and showed initiative, even as a Slowpoke! You were the only one in the whole, wide Well that bothered sticking his tail into the water, making it possible for me to bite you! …aside from that one idiot who went and stuck his head in. And he somehow ended up as your leader! What a cushy life he's got, sitting around and dispensing vague advice all the time!"

Slowbro stopped and turned around, facing the Shellder. "Do NOT insult Slowking! He's our oracle! And your brother's the one who bit his head."

"Yeah, the lucky jerk."

By now, Slowbro had reached the top of the Well where all the Slowpokes were lounging around.

"Goodbye, everyone!" Slowbro called.

The Slowpokes yawned.

With a smile, Slowbro waved to them and walked out of the Well and into the world.

* * *

This is a very special story to me, as it was one of the first fanfics I ever wrote...kind of. This is a heavily revised version of an old story that I never posted. Characters have come and gone, but I've had this story floating around for years and years. Slowbro is my favorite Pokemon, and I believe he deserves a chance to shine.


	2. The Ilex Forest

The world was by all means very inviting. This was because, of course, Slowpokes were sacred in Azalea Town. Thus, everyone gave Slowbro a kind smile when he walked by. But up ahead was the entrance to the deep and dark Ilex Forest. Once in there, Slowbro would be vulnerable to trainers and wild Pokemon.

"This is your last chance to turn back," said Shellder.

"I know," replied Slowbro.

"There could be trainers in there," said Shellder.

"Yep."

"You're seriously gonna go in?"

"I am," said Slowbro determinedly. "It's the only way to get to Saffron City, unless you can fly."

"Think we could cut a deal with one of those Spearrows instead?"

"After all the times I've whooped them? I doubt it."

Shellder sighed. "Fine. Just don't do anything stupid."

Into the forest the pair walked. It was much darker inside. The tall trees blocked out the sun. Bug Pokemon poked their heads out of the bushes in curiosity. Bravely, Slowbro marched on.

"I still think you should turn back," warned Shellder. "Back when I was just a little Pokemon I heard stories about guys who came in here and never came back."

"What happened to them?" asked Slowbro.

"There are nasty Beedrills in here and they're very protective of their hives. Whatever you do, stay away from their trees!"

"Got it," said Slowbro.

They heard a rustling in the bushes.

"What's that?" cried Slowbro. "Is it a Beedrill?"

Out stepped a teenage boy and girl.

"A Pokemon!" cried the girl.

"I wonder if it's rare…" said the boy.

"I knew it!" moaned Shellder. "I told you and I told you! Trainers! You're gonna get captured, which means I'M gonna get captured, too! Game over, man!"

"It's not over yet!" hissed Slowbro. "They don't have any Pokemon with them! There's no way they're gonna capture us!"

One of the trainers pulled out a master ball.

Slowbro's face fell.

Seconds later, Slowbro was running as fast as he could, which was surprisingly quick for a member of his species. He jumped into a grove and laid low as the trainers passed by.

"Where did a kid like that get a master ball?" wondered Shellder.

"They were dressed nicely," said Slowbro. "Their parents probably have a lot of money."

"Well, being captured won't be so bad," mused Shellder. "Especially with rich trainers and everything."

"We're not getting captured," Slowbro said determinedly. "I'm getting to that gym!"

"Hey, I found it!" cried on of the trainers, brushing the grove open. Slowbro and Shellder gasped in horror. It was then that Slowbro was struck with a brilliant idea.

With a THWACK, Slowbro whipped Shellder against a tree. "OW!"

Out of the tree fell a huge Beedrill hive. Slowbro dove for cover into a nearby stream while the Beedrills chased the screaming trainers away.

"Not a bad idea, huh?" Slowbro panted.

"For you, maybe," growled Shellder. "I'm the one with a headache now!"

Slowbro swam ashore. "At least we weren't captured."

"My head wouldn't hurt if we had been captured. And physically I'm pretty much nothing but a head, so my whole body hurts."

Slowbro laughed a little and Shellder scowled as the two made their way out of the woods.


	3. Mr Hoothoot's Wild Ride

Once he was out, Slowbro darted down the road, hiding in the tall grass along the way to avoid any other trainers. A little further ahead lay Goldenrod City, which was home to the subway that took guests to Saffron.

"We're here!" cheered Slowbro as they entered the city. "We're halfway home!"

"Home is back at the Well," pouted Shellder.

"Our new home will be Saffron," grinned Slowbro.

"Yeah, well, you'd better stick to dark alleys till we get on that stupid train," Shellder hissed. "There are even more trainers in this city who are just itching to catch you!"

"Right," agreed Slowbro, who ducked into a corner, bumping right into someone in the process.

That someone turned out to be another Pokemon.

"Watch it!" squawked the Hoothoot that Slowbro had bumped into.

"Sorry," Slowbro said hastily. "I was hiding from trainers and I…"

"You don't wanna get caught either?" Hoothoot asked happily. "Well, ain't that a coincidence! Me neither! I'm a free bird! I've gotta spread my wings! But as you can see, there's not much to spread. My name's Hoothoot, on account of that's what I am."

"If you don't want to get caught," snapped Shellder, "what are you doing wandering around a crowded city?"

"I could ask you the same thing," retorted Hoothoot, "but I love this city, that's all. I'm a regular night owl, hanging around the casino, taking in the sights! It's gorgeous! I usually find a nice, dark alley to sleep in during the daytime and that's where I met you guys. So what's the deal? Most Pokemon, aside from ourselves, would be happy to get captured by a worthy trainer."

"I've got a dream, that's the deal!" exclaimed Slowbro. "I want to train at the Saffron City gym."

"Saffron, eh?" said Hoothoot. "Funny, I actually have a buddy there. I often fly over to visit him, but I don't think I could lift you on my own."

"We were hoping to ride the subway," said Slowbro.

"HE was hoping to ride the subway, at least," Shellder said quietly in a snarky tone.

"Well, then follow me!" smiled Hoothoot. "I know the city like the back of my wing! Except there's no unattended Pokemon allowed on the train."

"Hoo boy," sighed Shellder.

"But I bet we can wing it!" Hoothoot grinned.

Ducking and dodging their way past various people, the Pokemon managed to get to the train station in one piece.

"Nicely done," commented Hoothoot. "You're quick on your feet for a Slowbro. Here's the station, home of the amazing Magnet Train."

The trio walked in, a little bit nervously. The conductor stood in front of the train, blocking their path.

"Wild Pokemon!" he cried. "In my station! I'm always looking to add to my collection, so…"

The conductor threw a Pokeball, releasing his Psyduck to attack.

Psyduck started towards the wild Pokemon, but Slowbro quickly threw up his arms.

"Stop!" he cried. "We don't want to be caught!"

Psyduck stared in surprise. "Don't…want to be caught?" he repeated.

"Not these guys!" Hoothoot said. "We're off to Saffron."

"That…that…doesn't make sense…" moaned Psyduck. "You guys are giving me a headache."

"I know how you feel," said Shellder.

Psyduck moaned and rubbed his head. The conductor, who couldn't understand any of the conversation, called out, "What's wrong, Psyduck? What are they telling you?"

Psyduck moaned and continued rubbing his head. "Hurts…doesn't make…sense…"

"Uh-oh," Hoothoot said quietly. "You do not wanna be around when a Psyduck gets a bad headache!"

"Why not?" asked Slowbro.

"If the headache gets bad, he releases the energy in the form of a psychic attack! TAKE COVER!"

Grabbing Slowbro, Hoothoot shoved his new friends under a chair. Psyduck yelled out a primal "OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!" and let out a blast of energy, which filled the room with a blinding white light.

When the lights returned to normal, Hoothoot, Slowbro, and Shellder saw that Psyduck and the conductor had both passed out.

"This must be a strong chair," mused Hoothoot. "I wonder what it's made of."

"Wow," breathed Slowbro. "That was crazy."  
"You're the crazy one!" screamed Shellder. "That's the second time we've almost been captured!"

"We'll be fine once we get to Saffron," Slowbro assured him.

Hoothoot smiled devilishly and grabbed the conductor's hat, putting it on his own head. "How do I look?"

"You're stealing his hat?" said Slowbro.

"Meh, he's probably got tons of them. Besides, we're also stealing his train."

"Wh-what?"

Hoothoot hopped into the train and motioned for the others to follow him. "Well, of course! How else do you think we were gonna get to Saffron, anyway? Besides, 'stealing' is the wrong term. We're just borrowing it. Now, come on!"

"My host Pokemon, the bandit," said Shellder. "Of all the Slowpokes in the world to bite…"

"I know," sighed Slowbro. "You had to bite MY tail."

"Okay," called Hoothoot, "I'm pumpin' this baby into full throttle-mode! YEE-HAW!"

With a few randomly pressed buttons and a some pulled levers, the magnet train was off at full speed. Slowbro and Shellder were thrown against the wall as they took off. Hoothoot, meanwhile, kept a firm grip on his seat and kept working the controls…which meant that he was just pressing more random buttons, hoping that they would go faster.

Finally, they arrived in Saffron. Hoothoot happily turned to his companions to find them lying dazed and confused against the wall. With a shrug, he lugged them out of the train, gave a friendly wave, and sped off into the night.

A minute later, Slowbro slowly came to. It was a foggy night in Saffron, but he could vaguely tell where they were…right in front of the psychic gym.


	4. The Psychic Gym

"Wow," breathed Slowbro. "We're really here."

"Can you re-start my heart first?" asked Shellder. "I'm never getting into any vehicle with that thing again!"

"We won't have to!" grinned Slowbro. "This is our new home! We won't need to leave now!"

The conjoined duo entered the gym. No trainers were around, but their Pokemon were all sparring, getting ready for future matches.

"I'd like to apply for a job here!" Slowbro proudly announced.

A few of the training Pokemon glared at him.

"You don't _apply_," snarled a Kadabra. "You get caught by a trainer who then uses you in battle. We don't take wild Pokemon off the street, you know."

"Besides," a Venomoth sneered, "we already have a Slowbro."

Another Slowbro stepped out of the shadows. He had a strange look about him…a nasty look. "That's right," he said quietly. "And I know moves you only wish you knew."

The first Slowbro looked around nervously as the group of psychic Pokemon closed in on him. "Hey now," he weakly managed to say, "I was just wondering, that's all…but I'll just be going now…"

"Oh no you won't," said Mr. Mime, stepping in front of the door. "We need to teach you a lesson about your place in the world."

"Everyone use Psychic!" shouted Alakazam. The group of Pokemon used their powers to twist, contort, and throw Slolwbro around painfully. He was smashed into walls, thrown across the room, and possibly had his internal organs rearranged a few times (it certainly felt like they had, at least).

When the Pokemon were through, they grabbed Slowbro and laughing, tossed him out the door.

Slowbro landed hard on the pavement and looked up to see the other Pokemon cackling down on him. After what seemed like hours of humiliation, the other Pokemon finally retreated into the gym, slamming the door shut behind them.

"Are you okay, Shellder?" Slowbro asked after a moment.

"Now you ask? _Now_?" snapped Shellder. "After taking me out of my home, hitting me against a tree, putting me in a train with an insane Hoothoot, and getting my brain turned sideways by those psychics, nay, those _psychos_! Now you ask me if I'm okay?"

"I was just trying…"

"I QUIT!" shouted Shellder. "I'm out, I'm done, I'm finished!"

With that, Shellder opened his mouth wide and unattached himself from Slowbro. Suddenly, he was a Slowpoke again.

"What are you talking about?" asked Slowpoke. "Admittedly, my tail feels better than ever and this is literally an enormous weight off of me, but…"

"Very funny," Shellder hissed. "I'm leaving!"

"How can you leave?" cried Slowpoke. "We're in the middle of the city! It's foggy out! There's no water anywhere!"

"Big whoop!" called Shellder. "I don't wanna be attached to you a minute longer! Who knows what you'll do next? You wanna try to join the Elite Four? They'd kill us! I'm tired of your crazy schemes and total disregard for my feelings! Adios!"

Grumbling to himself, Shellder hopped off into the fog, leaving Slowpoke standing alone.


	5. Friends in the Fog

"I'll never find another one like him," Slowpoke finally sighed. He had been standing there by himself for around an hour now, unsure of where to go next.

Suddenly, a black, fluttering thing crashed into him. "AWK!" it cried. "Sorry."

"Oh, I'm fine," said Slowpoke. "Who are you?"

"I'm Murkrow! Didn't mean to bump into you. I've been told that I bring bad luck to people."

"I've had terrible luck already," said Slowpoke. "My best friend left me and I just got a thrashing from some psychic Pokemon."

Murkrow nodded understandingly. "Yeah, those guys'll mess you up. They're a bunch of stuck-up bullies, the whole lot."

"I guess all I can do now is go back to Slowpoke Well and find a new Shellder," Slowpoke muttered.

Out of nowhere, Murkrow bit Slowpoke's tail.

"OW!" cried Slowpoke. "What did you do that for?"

"I'm sorry," moaned Murkrow, "but your tail tastes so good!"

Slowpoke blinked. "…what? I'm a little flattered, but how do you know what my tail tastes like?"

"Oh, I stole one."

"You what?"

"Not off a Slowpoke or anything," Murkrow giggled, "so relax! I'm just kind of a kleptomaniac and I saw this guy in black selling Slowpoke tails, and I couldn't help myself. They're really yummy!"

"Someone was selling Slowpoke tails?" gasped Slowpoke. "In bulk?"

"Yeah," nodded Murkrow, "he had a lot of them with him. I heard him say Team Rocket had them shipped in from Azalea Town."

Slowpoke's eyes widened. "Oh no. They got into the Well."

"The who got into the what?"

"THE WELL!" shouted Slowpoke, shaking Murkrow. "Team Rocket, that horrible band of crooks, got into Slowpoke Well and all my friends have been mutilated!"

Dropping Murkrow, Slowpoke began to shake violently. "Calm down," he said to himself, "stay calm. Our tails grow back. And then…and then they'll get cut off again! No, no, no, no, no!"

Murkrow began to back away slowly when he heard a voice in the fog. "Murkow, hey!"

Out flew Hoothoot. "Buddy, how've you been?" asked the owl-like Pokemon.

"Hoothoot! What are you doing in Saffron?"

Slowpoke looked up. "You two know each other?"

Hoothoot grinned. "Yeah, since we were hatchlings! Man, I haven't seen Murkrow in years!"

"Your friend," said Murkrow, pointing to Slowpoke, "has been acting a little crazy."

"What's wrong?" asked Hoothoot. Slowpoke hastily explained to him what he had been through and what was going on down in Slowpoke Well.

"Looks like there's only one thing to do," said Hoothoot. "We have to fly you back to Azalea Town and save your friends! I couldn't give you a lift before, 'cause it was only me. But with Murkrow's help, I bet I could get you back there easily! Hey, didn't you used to have something on your tail?"

"I don't want to talk about it," sighed Slowpoke.

"There you are!" called a voice. Everyone looked up to see the conductor and his Psyduck running towards them. "Get them, Psyduck!" he shouted.

"I have an idea!" cried Hoothoot. "Follow me!"

The trio bust into the psychic gym with Psyduck at their heels.

"Hey, he's back for some more!" sneered Mr. Mime.

"And he brought friends," added Alakazam.

Hoothoot jumped on Psyduck and began to repeatedly peck his head.

"Ow!" cried Psyduck. "Hey, cut that out! I'm gonna…I'm gonna…"

"Let's get outta here!" ordered Hoothoot. The trio bolted out of the gym just as the conductor ran in. "Uh-oh," he said, realizing what was about to happen.

With another primal "OWOWOWOWOWOOWOWOWOW!" Psyduck let out a huge blast of energy, enveloping the entire gym and knocking out everyone inside.

Slowpoke, Hoothoot, and Murkrow watched from a safe distance.

"That'll teach those bullies!" laughed Hoothoot.

Slowpoke sighed. "Let's just go…"

With a shrug, Hoothoot and Murkrow grabbed Slowpoke's front legs with their feet and began to fly when…

"Wait for me!" someone called.

Shellder hopped after them through the fog. With a leap and a snap, he bit down on Slowpoke's tail, fusing them, and making Slowpoke evolve again into Slowbro.

"You came back!" Slowbro cried happily to his tail.

"There's a fisherman after me, okay?" glared Shellder. "He thinks I'm some kind of 'land Shellder,' whatever that means. JUST FLY!"

So off they flew.


	6. Air and Sea

As they flew over Kanto, no one really said anything. After all that had been done, what could really be said?

Finally, Slowbro realized what he needed to say. "I'm sorry."

Shellder looked up. "You're what?"

"I said I'm sorry. You were right. I need to think more before I go out on these exploits. We're a team, and I need to listen to what you have to say."

Shellder smiled. "Well, I'm really glad to hear that. I missed you, you know."

"I missed you too."

"So where exactly are we going? I didn't get a chance to ask."

Slowbro looked out over at the land ahead of them. "We're going back to the Well," he said.

"Thank goodness!" sighed Shellder happily.

"And we're gonna fight Team Rocket."

"We're gonna WHAT? Wait, wait, wait! When I got back together with you, I thought that we were done with adventures!"

"This one's not my fault," said Slowbro. "Well, it sort of is, because I wasn't there to fight them before. But we'd have to deal with these guys whether I ever left or not. If we don't take care of Team Rocket now, we won't have a home to go to."

"Team Rocket?" moaned Shellder. "Aw, man…"

"I've got more bad news," said Hoothoot. "Look ahead."

"Oh no," squeaked Murkrow.

A large figure was flying towards them. Although it was fairly far away, the Pokemon could all tell that whatever it was, it was big.

Slowbro squinted. "Is that a…Ho-Oh?"

"Sure is!" cried Hoothoot. "We gotta make tracks! Which is impossible in the sky, but you get the idea."

Hoothoot and Murkrow quickly turned around and began flying the opposite direction.

"Why are we trying to escape?" asked Slowbro. "Ho-Oh is really rare! Seeing him is a privilege."

"I gotta agree," said Shellder. "Even I have to admit that this is really cool."

"Not for us," sobbed Murkrow. "He hates me and Hoothoot ever since we spray-painted his tower."

"You did what?" chorused Slowbro and Shellder.

"We were young and reckless," Hoothoot hastily explained. "Even after his tower burned down-which we had nothing to do with, I might add-he never forgave us! He's been stalking us for years for revenge! A really hot revenge!"

A blast of fire roared by, barely missing them.

"We're not going fast enough!" cried Murkrow. "We're too heavy."

"You'd better not think of dropping us," Shellder said warningly.

"We're over water," panted Hoothoot, "and it's either that, or you fry! Make your choice!"

Slowbro and Shellder looked at each other, then back at Hoothoot and Murkrow.

"We'll go with water," said Slowbro.

Hoothoot and Murkrow dropped Slowbro down into the sea and flew as fast as their wings could carry them with Ho-Oh is fast pursuit.

...

Slowbro and Shellder found themselves floating in the middle of the ocean, with no land in sight.

"We may be a water-type Pokemon," said Shellder, "but this stinks. It could take hours, maybe days for us to reach land."

"At least we're alive," said Slowbro, trying to make Shellder feel better. "And Ho-Oh's not after us any more, right?"

"I guess…hey, what's that?"

Slowbro and Shellder looked up to see a ship in the distance.

"We're saved!" cried Slowbro.

"Don't count your Togepis before they hatch," warned Shellder. "There could be trainers on that ship that would love to catch us. Be careful."

Someone onboard the ship suddenly dropped down a lifesaver. Slowbro nervously grabbed on and was hoisted onboard.

To his surprise, a Raichu, Pikachu, and Pichu were waiting for him.

"Better hide before any trainers see you, soldier," Raichu advised.

The group of Pokemon ducked into a closet.

"Now what were you doin' out there in the open seas?" asked Raichu.

Slowbro explained the long story to the trio.

"Team Rocket?" cried Pikachu. "We can't stand those guys! They've got some kind of personal grudge against Pikachus for some reason!"

"It's awful," agreed Pichu.

"That," added Raichu, "and they _only_ target Pikachus. It's like I don't exist or something. That really hurts…but listen up! I am Sergeant Raichu of Vermillion City, and these two are my privates."

Shellder giggled.

Ignoring him, Raichu continued. "We would be happy to help your crusade against that Team Rocket scum."

"I'm so happy to hear it!" Slowbro said gratefully. "But how will we get back to Slowpoke Well?"

"That's how we're about to help!" said Raichu. "We're gonna change the ship's course. The captain's room is right next to this closet. March, men!"

Quickly, the Pokemon scampered out of the closet and into the captain's room. The captain was busy sailing the ship when they barged in. A shock from Pikachu knocked him out.

"Oh dear," fretted Slowbro. "He'll be okay, right?"

"Just a few volts," Pikachu assured him. "He'll be out for about an hour, but I doubt there's any lasting damage."

"In times of need, sacrifices must be made," said Raichu. "In this case, it was his."

"Yeah, well, that's the second time we've stolen something on this little adventure," huffed Shellder. "I'm starting to get used to it."

Pikachu and Pichu jumped on the wheel and began to steer as Raichu checked the map.

"Okay, men," called Raichu. "Set course for Goldenrod City!"

…

The voyage was fairly quick. Within a few hours, they had made it to Goldenrod's coast. No one on the ship seemed to notice that they were off-coast (the captain had been the only sober one), so there was no real damage done.

Raichu insisted that Pikachu go with Slowbro in case he needed backup. Slowbro and Shellder were happy to have company, so they immediately agreed.

"Good luck, soldiers!" Raichu called to the trio as they disembarked from the ship. "Give Team Rocket a shock for us! Me and Private Pichu need to return this ship to its rightful port."

Slowbro and Pikachu waved to him (Shellder would have as well, if he had any hands). And then they set off towards Azalea Town.


End file.
